COVINGTON TWP. — Allowing employees to use township phones could run afoul of the state Ethics Commission, but the board of supervisors is continuing to develop a policy that would allow it anyway.

Covington Twp. supervisors last month asked solicitor Brian Yeager to develop a policy that would allow employees to use their cellphones for nonofficial purposes if it does not create an additional expense for the township in an effort to protect employees who make personal calls.

Thomas Yerke, vice chairman of the board of supervisors, agreed to pay $1,350 back to Covington Twp. in 2010 after the commission found he had been using his township cellphone for personal calls and texts, including during a period before he had a plan with unlimited minutes and messaging.

The Times-Tribune previously sought the commission’s opinion on whether a formal township policy would make employees using cellphones for personal use permissible, but the organization’s chief counsel Robin Hittie had no comment. Mr. Yeager does not intend to make the same call for a simple reason.

“They’re bright line people,” Mr. Yeager said after Tuesday’s work session. “They’re going to say no.”

The township’s policy will “reflect reality” but still set guidelines for employees to follow, Mr. Yeager said. The policy should address cellphones as part of a broader electronic media policy, he suggested.

“If we have a media policy, we’ll take care of it,” Mr. Yeager said. ”We don’t need the Ethics Commission.”

Mr. Yerke said at one point, he maintained both personal and township cellphones, but when township business continuously bled over to his personal phone, he got rid of it.

What happened with the ethics commission in 2010 still bothers him.

“I paid $1,350,” Mr. Yerke said. “That was not a lot of money, but to me, it made me feel like I took something from the township, and I never took (anything) from this township. I earned everything I got, and I’ve given back tenfold.”

If the ethics commission cited a township employee for personal use of a township cellphone, Mr. Yeager said the township would have legal “maneuvers” available, and if it happened to Mr. Yerke again, the township supervisor vowed to “fight it to the end” this time instead of settling.

Contact the writer:

kwind@timesshamrock.com,

@kwindTT on Twitter

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